Heya. I'm trying my hand at running DungeonWorld for some friends & acquaintances this Saturday, for
Int'l Tabletop Day. Since it's a one-shot, I figure'd I'd take advantage of the option to provide my players with introductory moves to help build some shared history/established fiction a little faster. I took an example of one for a fighter as a rough guide to build ones for the other classes. I have the adventure concept I'll be using, then the host of moves. This is my first time doing this (though I've played a few *World games before); insights and advice would be very appreciated!
Concept: Two watch-posts, sited near to one another in a remote locale, on opposite sides of a frontier border. A short while before play begins,
Something Bad goes down at the enemy post across the border...
That watchtower across the border used to be yours, years ago. (How long?) All your side has these days is a hardscrabble camp by the mountainside, with a network of caves to fall back to. (What was the tower put to use for, when it was yours? Do you know what happens there now?) Your outpost is far from either empire's heart, plus it's stormy season. To make it back takes a long, unpleasant trek.
During character creation, fill in party details. A few relevant questions for most PCs: Why are you posted here? How long has it been, and how much longer have you got? What's the latest news in camp? When your tour is over—then what? Are there any NPCs here with you?
Opening: One evening, just after sunset, there is a commotion in the woods to the west, followed by a chaotic splashing through the stony brook that borders your camp. In the dim twilight, an enemy stumbles toward the camp, babbling loudly in his foreign tongue. He seems angry, paranoid & raving as he nears the reach of your firelight. He whirls about at times, and lets fly arrows & curses at terrors unseen. Some of his arrows and curses are flying at
you, as well as your comrades. The enemy is getting closer.
What do you do?Custom Introductory Moves, by classBard, you've listened to the songs they sing and tales they tell about these parts, and you're starting to put some things together. Roll +WIS, and let's see what you've puzzled out...
10+: Pick two bits of folklore.
7-9: Pick one.
Miss: Go ahead and pick one—except you found out it was NOT true, painfully. Describe one useful thing you found out instead.
•?Three times around the standing stones, walking backwards, will bring good luck.
•?Smoke from burnt leaves of the graveweed bush will ward off spirits.
•?The commander in the enemy's outpost is laughably dimwitted.
•?A fair-minded dryad lives inside the ancient, towering arbor by the brook.
Cleric, you're starting to make some real connections with these people! Not least because of the impressive works you've accomplished with divine favor on your side. Roll +STR and let's see what good deeds are backing up your good words.
10+: Pick two deeds.
7-9: Pick one.
Miss: Pick one just the same, but what it says: you did the opposite. Didn't work; backfired; tried and failed. Not the shining example you'd hoped for, but the trials of the faithful are many, after all.
•?Fought off bandits on the road single-handedly.
•?Called on your god to intercede and save another's life.
•?Built an impressive shrine in honor of your divine patron.
•?Asked for holy guidance in a difficult situation and received the perfect answer.
Druid, you've grown close to these lands. You've grown closer still to the beasts within them. Many is the day and night you've spent in long contemplation of a single animal's every behavior and nuance. Roll +CON and we'll see how well you've paid attention...
10+: Pick two insights.
7-9: Pick one.
Miss: Pick one of the animals from the list; you have learned its wisdom, but it and its kin have taken a strong dislike to you.
•?From the squirrel, you know how to spot the places that will hold reserves of wild nuts and berries, or other useful treasures of nature.
•?From the deer, you know in which places the predators stalk their prey and how to avoid them.
•?From the spider, you know what the forgotten mountain tunnels hold and how to get there.
•?From the salmon, you know which pool contains pure waters that can avert the effects of poisons.
Fighter, someone who loves you gave you a gift before you left home for this shit detail. Roll+CHA and tell us how much they love you.
10+: Pick two heirlooms.
7-9: Pick one.
Miss: You still pick one—it's busted or gone, though; you already used it to save someone else's life. So much for nostalgia. Anyway, pick a PC you have a Bond with, and in one future situation that makes sense, do this: gain 1 hold to spend Defending them, or +1 going forward to Aid/Interfere with them.
•?A vial of anti-venom.
•?A shield that glows with silver light.
•?A lucky iron coin, mistakenly struck with matching faces.
•?A tarnished old key in the shape of a lizard.
Paladin, it's been a rough-and-ready stretch, hasn't it? The dents in your armor & nicks in your blade say that much. The trophies you bear from the fallen speak a little louder, though. Roll +CON and let's find out what tokens you bear of your foes...
10+: Pick two tokens.
7-9: Pick one.
Miss: Pick one, but it's a foul trophy, this one, and it might be throwing off your nose for evil-doers. Casting it aside won't be enough: you need to find a way to purify this thing.
•?A ragged scar that says "don't fuck with me."
•?A reliquary recovered from those who profaned a holy place.
•?A string of coins from far-off lands, all different.
•?A chapbook with curious illustrations, written in a script you can't read.
Ranger, nobody here understands the practicalities of frontier life like you do. Except your animal friend, of course. The two of you have had your work cut out for you: roll +WIS and let's see what you've managed to get done to improve this sorry camp.
10+: Pick two improvements.
7-9: Pick one.
Miss: Pick two, but one of them was a shoddy piece of work. That's what happens when you rush to get too much done too quickly. Count on one "improvement" to fail you at the worst possible time.
•?Extra torches all around, to keep the caverns easily traversable and the patrol lines well-lit.
•?A few fresh game kills to help out when these idiots run out of rations.
•?Well-placed, camouflaged hunter's blinds in a couple trees near camp.
•?A detailed map of game trails, forest paths, and places of note in the surrounding wilds.
Thief, you know more than you let on. Below is a list of secret info and resources you might have come across; roll +DEX and let's see what you've managed to find in the shadows.
10+: Pick two secrets.
7-9: Pick one.
Miss: You still get to pick one, but everyone knows about it, to your dismay. Tell everyone what you know, and let them tell
you how they found out about your little "secret".
•?A hidden cache of goods behind the waterfall.
•?Time spent inside the enemy's camp.
•?The contents of a letter meant for someone else.
•?A crevice in the caves where noxious mushrooms grow.
Wizard, you have observed ominous signs in recent weeks, signs that speak to you of trouble soon to come. Roll +INT to determine which of these ill omens you have interpreted with your vast knowledge...
10+: Pick two signs.
7-9: Pick one.
Miss: Pick two and be ready for disappointment—your interpretation of one of the two signs is hopelessly incorrect, but you are unaware. (Don't worry, I'm sure it's close enough.)
•?A green flash of light at sunset, the hallmark of dangerous Black Magic afoot.
•?Water reversing course to flow upstream, signalling usurpation of the natural order.
•?A stillborn animal, indicating promises broken (or soon to be).
•?Peculiar reddish blotches on your skin, foretelling of bloodshed that cannot be avoided but that will grant you a boon.
Any helpful feedback, or tips for running DungeonWorld one-shots in general, would be completely awesome. Thanks!